South Perimeter bridge repair moving ahead

By: Dave Gaudreau, MLA for St.Norbert

As published in the Sou’Wester

April 17, 2013

I am grateful to have the opportunity to keep people updated on news and events in our community through this column.

You may have noticed the work going on around the Perimeter cloverleaf in St. Norbert last fall. That work is being done in preparation for the bridge renewal which will be
taking place over the next two years.

Even before I was elected, infrastructure renewal was on my agenda as one of the most important investments this province can make.

As a journeyman welder, I was often doing repairs under bridges around the city—in a bucket suspended from the hydraulic arm of a truck on top of the bridge.

I saw first-hand the effects of salt on the concrete piers and steel under the bridges. In fact, when I visited Montreal three years ago I was shocked at the state of the
overpasses and bridges—many if not all had nets slung underneath to catch the chunks of falling concrete.

Here in St. Norbert, the south perimeter bridge over Pembina Highway is nearing the end of its life cycle and I am proud to be part of a government that is putting the
health and safety of people first by implementing an infrastructure renewal plan, which includes this bridge.

I have also worked hard to ensure that the project includes an upgrade to the sidewalk that runs under the bridge. It will have a wider pathway for active transportation, as
well as more lighting for pedestrian and cyclist safety.

I am also working hard to ensure that the project encourages active transportation for cyclists and pedestrians. Ideas include widening the sidewalks and improving the
lighting under the bridge.

Living in St. Norbert, I myself cross under that bridge many times a day, in my work and personal life, and while the renewal may cause some inconveniences over the next
couple of years, I know the end result is a safe bridge and solid infrastructure.

We need to keep up our bridges and highways, just like we need to maintain our homes and lawns. After all, every parent knows that investing today means creating a safer,
healthier world for our children in the future.